Symposium Focusing on DSI Africa Launch

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The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in collaboration with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan), USA, and Heidelberg University, Germany hosted a symposium focusing on research training and the harnessing of data science for global health priorities in Africa.

The Data Science Initiative for Africa (DSI-Africa) launch symposium aimed to build data science research capacity in Africa with UKZN as the hub, the four other partners in sub-Saharan Africa being Nigeria (University of Ibadan), Uganda (Makerere University), Tanzania (Muhimbili University), and Ghana (University of Ghana).

This is a National Institute of Health-funded DSI-Africa project whose focus is on Research Training on Harnessing Data Science for Global Health Priorities in Africa with Professor Wafaie Fawazi (Harvard), Professor Mosa Moshabela (UKZN), Professor Till Barginhaissen (Heidelberg) and Professor Henry Mwambi (UKZN) being Multi-Principal Investigators.

Moshabela, UKZN’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation (and one of the grant Multi-Principal Investigators), explained the important role the grant will play in building Data Science.

Keynote speaker, Professor Onisimo Mutanga, discussed the importance of Data Science in understanding climate change and predicting its impact on food security. He said in order to improve the sustainable management of resources against climate change impacts, the world must embrace the 4^th Industrial Revolution (4IR) whilst promoting multidisciplinary research and transdisciplinary research.

Professor of Population Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH), Fawzi, proposed that Data Science led by African based scientists will be the key for the future as it will address health needs across the continent.

‘Driven by the pace of change in the economy and technology, data-evidence based policy decisions, we need to produce graduates who have a number of inter-related attributes, skills and competencies that help individuals both secure and perform well in employment,’ said UKZN Professor of Statistics, Temesegn Zewotir.

Professor Saloshni Naidoo, UKZN Training Director gave an overview of the training programme and its long-term goals, saying that the integration of short courses, a seminar series and workshops across the domains of health systems strengthening and climate change and nutrition will be used to develop Data Science capacity in Africa.

Barnighausen, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health Director, highlighted the Data Science skills needed to fulfil the promise of digital interventions for health systems: ‘The use of wearable health electronics (human sensors) can measure 750 health variables,’ he said.

‘Data science can help answer critical food system challenges. The use of weather data, satellite imagery and field observation could inform household food production and prevent child malnutrition,’ said Dr Isabel Madzorera from the HSPH.

Dr Candida Moshiro from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) observed the progress of the programme in Building Data science capacity in Tanzania. Students at MUHAS are equipped with skills in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Biomedical Engineering, Data Science and Health Information systems. It was interesting to learn from Moshiro that students at MUHAS are already producing Active Learning (AL) and Machine Learning (ML) end-user products that are being tested to solve real life health problems in Tanzania.

Professor Chris Guure from the University of Ghana said the Computer Science Department of the University of Ghana has developed a Master’s program in Data Science. The programme will run in collaboration with the Department of Physics, Mathematics, Statistics and Biostatics. He further suggested that collaborations with organisations and industries that produce and manage large data will be beneficial for the programme.

In closing the symposium, the Dean of Research in the College of Health Sciences at UKZN, Professor Anil Chuturgoon, assured delegates that the College Research Office will offer support and ensure the success of the programme.

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Words: Mandisa Shozi and Nombuso Dlamini

Photograph: Supplied